British English -- "Blacksliders"

[ConnerVT]

I need a little help, to give a little help to someone else.  perhaps our European membership and international linguists can lend a hand.

A friend of ours from the FSU is currently finishing up her university course work, and has an assignment where she is translating some passages from British English to Russian.  I helped her with the last few she couldn't work through (mostly due to typographical errors in the textbook!), but we have one that I can't even find the definition for.  (Well, I have a pretty strong idea, but I want to give answers, not my "best guess").

The word is blacksliders.

I'll give you the full passage that she needs to translate.  She has a very good understanding of the passage, less the one word in question.  If someone could give us a valid definition, either in English or Russian, we will be very grateful.

Should any appeal be needed, the Prime Minister will have the opportunities for personal chats with blacksliders at the party for MPs of previous Parliaments, which he will give at 10 Dowling Street tonight.

Thanks for your help!

[SANDRO43]

The word is blacksliders.
Should any appeal be needed, the Prime Minister will have the opportunities for personal chats with blacksliders at the party for MPs of previous Parliaments, which he will give at 10 Dowling Street tonight.

Never come across the term before , but then I'm not deep into British parliamentary slang , and Google offers no help .

Could it be a typo for:

Backslider
Noun: relapser, renegade, reneger, deserter, fallen angel, turncoat, apostate

The fallen angel part could apply to former MPs .

[ConnerVT]

Could it be a typo for:

Yes, it could be a typo.  The definitions you give fit with the few places my Internet search has found usage of the word.  Mostly in reference to people losing faith and moving away from the church, several centuries ago.  (Think leaving old church for newer Protestant religions).

So I can see the word used, in this context, as "losing faith" and moving away from the party's position...

Also interesting, if it is a typo, it wasn't flagged by this forums spell checker. 

[SANDRO43]

Also interesting, if it is a typo, it wasn't flagged by this forums spell checker.

I just tried out with whiteslider, greyslider, mauveslider, vermilionslider, fuchsiaslider, and it didn't object to them, either .

[Vaughn]

ConnerVT, I found an obscure book title using the word ~

What think you of death!: or, the last moments of an impenitent blackslider
By Thomas Paterson, Baptist Tract Society, published 1847

Could it be the same general meaning - with the "L" dropped in the following century?

[Vaughn]

Searching blackslider(s) on Amazon dot com's Book section produces many references as well.

From a collection of hymns:

O return ye sons of grace,
Turn and see God's smiling face
Hark! He calls blacksliders home,
Then from Him no longer roam.

[OlgaH]

Searching blackslider(s) on Amazon dot com's Book section produces many references as well.

From a collection of hymns:

O return ye sons of grace,
Turn and see God's smiling face
Hark! He calls blacksliders home,
Then from Him no longer roam.

16. Hark! he calls backsliders home,
    Then from him no longer roam,
    (Repeat previous line)
    And I will give him glory.
http://www.ccel.org/ccel/walker/harmony/files/hymn/Come_and_Taste_With.html


Oxford online dictionary.
http://www.askoxford.com/concise_oed/backslide?view=uk
backslide

  • verb (past backslid; past part. backslid or backslidden) relapse into bad ways.

  — DERIVATIVES backslider noun backsliding noun.

[ConnerVT]

Woke up this morning to see everyone's responses.  Thank you for your efforts.  They mirror what I was thinking. 

[55North]

Definitely should be 'backslider'.